How long it generally takes a child to master the basic skills under 1 to 1 training?
by Choong
(KL, Malaysia)
Question: How long it generally takes a child to master the basic skills under 1 to 1 training?
Hi Choong, thank you for your question.
To be honest, it depends on several factors. I’ll try to answer it as best as I can.
When you mention basic skills, I assume you’re referring to skills such as clearing (lobbing), drop shots, smashing, footwork, and simple net shots.
The time it takes to master these badminton skills depends on the child’s interest in badminton and how much time can the child afford to spend on badminton in a week.
Time Requirements
Around 3-5 months of badminton coaching, 2 hours a weeks on a consistent basis should be enough to learn these skills.
Aside from the 2 hours coaching a week, the child should play at least one more session, either with friends or family, to perfect the skills.
Learning Phase: 3 months of coaching will get the child to learn these skills. To master and execute them perfectly, I will be looking at 1 year before the child can deliver these skills perfectly and consistently.
How Long to Stay with the Coach?
When the child has learned to perform these badminton skills (after 3 to 5 months approximately), you can consider stopping the coaching sessions provided the child has someone to play with other than the coach.
The main purpose of badminton coaching is to help the child develop the CORRECT badminton techniques. Once your child has a strong habit of performing the correct techniques, all he/she needs is practice, practice, and practice.
If you’re looking to help the child to achieve more, I would suggest about 1 year of coaching.
Try Group Training
The child should switch to group training after knowing how to perform the correct badminton skills.
1-to-1 coaching is good. But the reason to go for group training is to let the child apply the skills in games. Playing together is also a lot more fun and effective.
It’s effective because the child gets to play with someone that has a similar level of badminton skills.
The child then gets to learn how to use a combination of different badminton skills to win rallies instead of just knowing how to perform them individually.